Carton, including pouring means



Jan. 4,1944. w! A, RlNGLER 2,338,260

CARTON INCLUDING POURING MEANS Filed July; 24, 1941 Patented Jan. 4,1944 csn'ron, INCLUDING ronnnve MEANS wuusm ArBingler, Wayne, Pa.,assignor to The Gardner-Richardson Company, Ohio, a oorporationof OhioMiddletown,

Application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403,898

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a carton havinga closable pouring means characterized by a new simplicity and utility.The need for pouring means in cartons containing powdered, granular orflaky materials has long been recognized, and a large number of pouringspout constructions have been suggested. These,

ultimate consumer of the goods contained in the cartons. Such operationsare not generally desirable, and where they are of complicatedcharacter. the ultimate user will often neglect to perform them and willprefer the simple operation of opening the carton with a knife. In suchan event the advantages of reclosure are lost, and where reclosure isadvisable for the .proper preservation of the contents of the earton,the product itself may sufler.

It is an object of my invention to provide a pouring means whichinvolves no extra parts of any kind but which is formed solely fromnecessary wall portions of the carton. It is an object of my inventionto provide a pouring means which does not add'to the cost of the carton.It is an object of my invention to provide a pouring means whichrequires no initial setting up operation and which is so simple to useat the outset that the ultimate consumer of the goods will find iteasier to use the pouring means than to open the carton by means of aknife or by tearing. It is an object of my invention to provide apouringmeans which requires no appreciable change in the outwardappearance of the carton. It is an object of my'invention. to provide apouring means which is positive in its action, both in "opening and inclosing. It is an object of my invention to provide a pouring means inwhich the operations both of opening and of closing are simple pressureoperations.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forthhereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthese speciilcations, I accomplish bythat certain construetion andarrangementof parts of-which I shall now describe an exemplaryembodiment.

Reference is made to the drawing, wherein:

11 Claims. (01. 229-17) Figure 1 is a partial plan view of a cartonblank prepared to embody my invention.

Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of a filled and closed cartonwhich embodies my invention.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the same carton showing the pouring meansopen.

Figure '4 is a similar view of the same carton showing an operationincident to the closing of the pouring opening.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken diagonally through'a carton andshowing the o eration of pouring when the opening has been effected.

My invention isapplicable to any carton with a pair of walls meeting ata substantial angle. I shall describe it in connection with a carton ofthe usual rectangular, knocked-down variety, it being understood thatthis is not a limitation upon my invention.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I do not employ an added ormovable spout member to direct the flow of contents from the carton, butrather employ the angular meeting relationship of a pair of walls todirect the flow, providing a closable opening in connection therewith sothat ing may be effected by a simple inward pressure on an edge of thecarton. The pouring means is preferably located adjacent a comer of thecarton. When the opening is effected, the contents of the carton may bepoured out in a readthe opening will cause the previously inwardlydepressed carton portion to spring outwardly, thus effecting reclosure,all as will be more fully explained hereinafter. In Fig. 1, I have showna portion of a carton blank of ordinary construction. Here, a side wallof the carton I is separated from an end wall 2 by a score line 3.Another side wall 4 is shown separated from the end wall 2 by a scoreline ii. The side and end walls have been shown provided with endclosure flaps 6, I and ii separated from each other and articulated tothe respective carton walls by a common score line 9. Such a. cartonwill be formed into tubular knockeddowncondition as is usual in the artandshipped 7 to the manufacturer of the .goods which thecar ton is tocontain. The manufacturer of the goods will fill and close the carton onthe usual machinery for that purpose; and it is an advantage of myinvention that the cartons embodying it may be handled, filled andclosed in the usual ways and without any change or modification of theusual machinery.

Indeed, the only change or addition to the common carton blank which myinvention contemplates, is the provision of a line of weakening andcertain score lines. One form of these is illu trated in Fig. 1, where Iis a line of weaken ing of limited extent formed in two adjacent cartonwalls (the walls I and 2 as illustrated) at a position somewhatinterspaced from a corner of the cart-on. The line of weakening III maybe formed by perforating the blank body or by slitting it with minuteinterspaced slits or otherwise as may be desired. This line cuts acrossthe score line 3. From a point more nearly adjacent the comer of thecarton, a pair of score lines II and I2 start at the same or nearly thesame point and diverge outwardly in the respective carton walls to meetthe ends of the line of weakening Il. The score lines II and I2 extendbeyond the ends of the line of weakening It so as to define a portion ofthe carton walls which is to be depressed for effecting reclosure in away hereafter explained. The shape of the score lines II and I2, beyondthe ends of the line of weakening III, may be considerably varied; but Ihave found it preferable to carry them outwardly further away from thescore line 3 before they begin to converge. Itis not necessary that theymeet again at the score line 3. They may be stopped substantially asshown in Fig. 1 or they may converge until they meet the score line 3 atan acute angle as shown at II a and l2a in Fig. 2. Again, if desired,they may be caused to approach the score line 3 at more nearly a rightang e or even at greater than a right angle as shown at Ill) and I2!) inFig. 3. Also I may, if desired, place a pair of score lines I3 and I 4respectively intermediate the score lines II and I2 and angularlyrelated thereto as shown in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of score lines and the line 01' weakening III which Ihave just described divides a portion of two meeting walls of the cartoninto areas which 'I have broadly designated as A and B In the variousfigures. These areas lie partly in wall I andpartly in wall 2 as shown.The top of the carton, as formed by the folding over and sealing of theclosure flaps, is indicated in Figs. 2 to 5 at 15. The carton, as hasbeen indicated, is erected, closed on one end, filled, and closed oncarton. But it is essential that the portion B when so depressed shouldnot pass beyond dead center. If it did so, and remained extendinginwardly of the carton, it is obvious that the carton would not bereclosed. I have found that if the score lines II and I2 after they passthe ends of the line of weakening I0 diverge further from the score line3 before recurving to approach it, the dead center effect so far as theportion B is concerned is destroyed. I believe this to be due to thefact that in flexing the portion B upon the prolongation of the scorelines I I and I2, the configuration of these score lines causes theportion B to be flexed slightly arcuately. The portion B cannot passdead center because it is limited by the upward curve where theperforated line I0 meets the score lines II, I2. Only if the line Illtears past the score lines II, I2, can the portion B pass dead center.Thus, in the structures shown in my drawing, the portion B may bedepressed so as to cause the portion A to spring outwardly; but theportion B will not remain in depressed position, and the carton returnsto that original relationship of parts illustrated in Fig. 2.

The score lines II and I2, after diverging from the score line 3 should,I have found, recurve inwardly. If this is not done, the act ofdepressing the portion B of the carton may cause the board to bend onuneven lines, or lines extending gen-- erally in the direction of thescore line 3. Such bending not only impairs the operation of the pouringmeans as I have described it, but also tends to impair the squareness ofthe carton. While, as I have explained, the lines II and I2 do notneedto be prolonged until they meet the score line 3, a somewhat morepositive action may be produced by so prolonging them. In. any event,they should approach the score line 3 close- 1y enough so that when theportion B is depressed it will bend inwardly along lines which doconverge upon the score line 3 at not too great a disthe other in theusual way. For opening the carton, the area A may be merely pressed inwardly by the thumb of the user. The line of weakening I0 is usually ofsuch character that such inward pressure especially if exerted near theline of weakening, will cause the board to sever along that line. vIndepressing the area A, the walls I and 2 of the carton are flexedslightly outwardly; and asthe portion A is further depressed it passesbeyond dead center and the resilience of the walls retains the portion Ain depressed position as shown in Fig. 3. Now the contents of the cartonmay be readily removed by pouring to whatever extent desired asillustrated in Fig. 5. Moreover, if the walls I and 2 can be flexedoutwardly again to relieve the dead centance from the line of weakeningIII. This gives a sort of fulcrum upon which the portion B may be bentinwardly and enforces the spreading of the walls I and 2 to the extentof permitting the portion A to spring outwardly again when the deadcenter effect is overcome.

Thescore lines I3 and I4 are score lines which may be provided in theportion A for the purpose of making it somewhat easier to depressinwardly. They are of value primarily in the heavy boards, although theymay be provided in cartons made of any weight of board if so desired,since I have found that the resilience of the board in normal use isalways such as to cause the portion A to spring outwardly when the deadcenter pressure is relieved. They also may be omitted where desired. it

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a pouring means which doesnot change in any appreciable degree the outward appearance of thecarton. It does not change any of the normal functionings of the carton.It has been found not to weaken the carton for stacking purposes and thelike.- It is not likely to be opened accidentally. It does not add tothe costof the carton in any significant degree since it involves onlythe addition of certain scoring and weakening means to the die used informing the carton blank. It involves no structural elements which mustbe added .to the carton blank itself. It is extremeiy'simple and easy tooperate, requiring no setting up, and actually rendering more simplerather than more complicated the initial opening of the carton. Needlessto say, thecarton itself may bear such instructions as may be necessaryto apprise the user of the manner of use of my pouring means.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from thespirit of it. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters of Patent is:

1. A carton having a pair of angularly related outer walls articulatedtogether along a line, a line for severance common to the two walls andextending across said line of articulation, there being in each wall ascore line at the end of said line for severance and at an anglethereto, said score line on each side of the line for severanceapproaching said line of articulation, and defining two portions each ofwhich is common to the two walls, one of said portions being depressible4 inwardly of the carton to a position at which its and the other ofsaid portions being depressible inwardly to the extent of relieving saiddead center effect to permit the first mentioned portion to return tocarton closing position.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said line for severance is aline of weakening in the carton walls.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means to prevent theoccurrence of a dead center effect respecting the second mentionedportion when it is depressed.

4. The structure claimed in claim 1 including means to prevent theoccurrence of a dead center effect respecting the second mentionedportion when it is depressed, said means comprising a configuration ofthe said score lines such as to produce a transverse flexing of theboard in the second mentioned portion.

5. The structure claimed in claim'l including means to prevent theoccurrence of a dead center eifectrespecting the second mentionedportion when it is depressed, said means comprising a configuration ofthe said score lines such that a transverse flexing of the boardin thesecond mentioned portion prevents the occurrence of a dead centereffect, and in which said first and second mentioned portions areinitially demarked from each other by a line of weakening in the cartonwalls. v

6. In a carton, a pair of adjacent walls articulated together by a scoreline, a line of weakening crossing'said score line and common to the twowalls. separate score lines in said two walls be ginning substantiallyat said first mentioned score line at a point interspaced from said lineof weakening and diverging to meet the ends of said line of weakening,extending therebeyond, thereafter and recurving to approach said firstmentioned score line on the opposite side of said line of weakening.

7. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said second mentioned scorelines after meeting the ends of said line of weakening diverge furtherfrom said first mentioned score line before recurving to approach it.

8. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said second mentioned scorelines after meeting the ends of saidli'ne of weakening diverge furtherfrom said first mentioned score line before recurving to approach it,and in which said last mentioned score lines approach said firstmentioned score line to an extent to meet it at a pointinterspaced fromsaid line of weakening and on the opposite side'thereof from said firstmentioned point.

9. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said second mentioned scorelines after meeting the ends of said line of weakening diverge furtherfrom said first mentioned score ilne before recurving to approach it,and in which said last mentioned score lines approach said firstmentioned score line to an extent to meet it at a point interspaced fromsaid line of weakening and on the opposite side thereof from said firstmentioned point, and in which said last mentioned score lines meet saidfirst mentioned score line at an angle not substantially less than anangle of 45 at said second mentioned point.

10. The structure claimed in claim 6 wherein said second mentioned scorelines after meeting the ends, of said line of weakening diverge furtherfrom said first mentioned score line before recurving to approach it, inwhich said last mentioned score lines approach said first mentionedscore line to an extent to meet it at a point interspaced from said lineof weakening and on the opposite side thereof from said first mentionedpoint, in which said last mentioned score lines meet said firstmentioned score line at an angle not substantially less than an angle of45 at said second mentioned point, and in which a pair of angularlyrelated score lines extend from said first mentioned point to said lineof weakening and lie between said second mentioned score lines and saidfirst mentioned score line respectively.

11. In a structure of the character described, a pair of wallsarticulated to each other by a. line of score, said walls having acommon line for severance, a pair of score lines starting at a point onsaid first mentioned score line interspaced from said line for severanceand diverging to meet the ends of said line for severance in therespective walls, and score lines extending from the ends of said line[or severance and approaching saidfirst mentioned score line on theopposite side of said line for severance.

WILLIAM A. RINGLER.

